11

May

Let Us Sing

We all have things we are good at and things that are not “our gift.” God designed each of us with certain gifts and each of these gifts were designed in us to work for the body of Christ, the Church, to bring glory to Him. Many of us look at the gifts others have and desire them to the point that we minimize the gifts that God has given to each of us.

I have a hard time acknowledging the gifts that I have. I can look back 15-20 years ago and see things like athletics or academics that I was really good at, but when we are talking about the gifts that I have and how I can use them to serve God, I get a little nervous. I know which gifts I want. For instance, the ability to sing. Oh, it’s not that I have a horrible singing voice, in fact I was once told I have a good “choir voice.” At the time I took that as a compliment, but in hindsight I think that it is a little like being told “you have a face for radio.” To say the least, I have never been asked to sing a solo at church. But, that is the gift I want! I want to be able to sing so that those that hear my voice will raise their hands and be BLESSED and feel closer to Christ. THIS IS NOT MY GIFT! I know that I will never sing like an angel until I am an angel. (Until then I will sing loud and apologize to those around me if I need to.)

It is so important that all of us realize where our strengths and weaknesses are in serving God. If you are serving in an area that is a weakness you will be drained instead of energized and excited. Too often, we serve because we didn’t say no. This can be a blessing and is often needed, but we should be looking for ways to use what we have be given to glorify Christ.

There are times the body of Christ is divided and churches die because there are too many people doing jobs that God has not called them to do. I am not a singer, but I am a Type-A leader that loves to teach. If you have things done 2-weeks early and everything is planned and organized you are speaking my love language. But I have dear friends that when I talk like that look at me like I have lost my mind. They need to just take things as they come and they truly think that it is ok to leave dishes in the sink for days at a time, (what is wrong with you people) and that is ok. In fact that is perfect. We need people that balance each other out to move the Church the way God has ordained it to move.

How would our churches, Christ’s body, look if we were all doing the job we were created to do? That is the church we should all long to be a part of! I pray that we will all seek out our gifts that God has given each of us so that we will work as one body to serve and seek out those who do not believe and reach them for Christ’s Kingdom.

Ephesians 4:11-12
“And it is he who gifted some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists and still others to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints, todo the work of ministry, and to build up there body of the Messiah.